what is in a name?
by melibelly
Summary: (one-shot) How did the marauders get there name? this should be interessting...


What is in a name?

"Shut up Peter." Sirius snapped "and watch where you step. That must have been the 3rd time you stepped on my foot."

"Shh…I think I heard something."

Silence met this statement as the four boys froze and strained their ears for the offending footsteps. It was the dead of the night and try as they might they couldn't see more than a few feet in front of them.

"I don't hear anything." Whispered Remus nervously

"Me neither." Peter said a little to loudly

"Got ya!"

"James you prat." Sirius grumbled "the second we get out of this thing…"

He left it unsaid as the four boys took another step in union. It was a hard job, walking blindly under an invisibility cloak down to the dungeons of the school. It had taken a good half-hour to get as far as they where and there was still a good 10 minutes to go. They where all squished and tired, but they never gave up on a prank and where not about to start now.

After several more complicated maneuvers they arrived at their destination: the potions cupboard.

Sirius let out an evil cackle, like a witch in a muggle movie.

"Your such an old hag, Sirius." Said the slim brown haired boy while he stood watch.

"Remus, you didn't know?" Joked James from the cupboard, nervously grabbing liquids

Sirius reached over and hit his friend upside the head.

"Hey be careful I'm holding precious potions here! Could have dropped something!"

Sirius rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue.

"Mr. Black," chirped James in a high pitched voice that sounded strangely like there transfiguration teacher, professor McGonagall "Please stop fooling around in my class. You and Mr. Potter can be immature on your own time. 10 points from Gryffindor!"

"James it's not natural for a boys voice to go that high." Drawled Sirius "you almost broke glass, I swear."

"Hurry up!" squeaked Peter's voice from the doorway

"Stop fooling around you two." Scolded Remus

"Yes professor." Chorused James and Sirius identical mocking grins in place before stepping into he hall.

"Got everything?" quizzed Remus

"Yep. Let's go. Got the cloak?" James said holing up several vials of liquid.

Peter drew the clock around all of them and they started their long hike back to the second year boy's dorm.

"What's the password again?" whispered James

"Who's there?" Yelled the fat lady looking around the apparently empty hallway.

"Umm…tentacle tart." Said Remus

The fat lady's eyes narrowed. "I don't know who you are but I will be informing the headmaster that a Gryffindor student was wandering around past curfew." She declared before throwing open the doorway.

The four boys scrambled into the common room and up the stairs giggling like hyenas.

Sirius and James dumped their loot on Remus's bed: the only one made well enough to do so.

"That was fun!" said Sirius collapsing on his own bed. "We got more than I thought we did."

"What do they all do?" asked Remus examining the contents on his bed

"How should we know?" James said "Maybe you have werewolf super sense but the rest of us can't read labels in a dark cupboard."

"How do we know which ones to use for tomorrow then?" asked Peter frowning slightly

"We don't." Sirius replied shrugging "Just do eenie-meenie-minee-mo and pick one. The surprise will be half the fun."

Remus sighed at his friend's lack of forward thinking. "Why did you take so many if you just want to us one, then? There's over 20 here."

James looked scandalized. "It's always good to have a reserve."

Sirius yawned. "Let's get to bed. We need to be up early tomorrow to prepare the prank, plus I need my beauty sleep."

"I second that motion." Said James not bothering to change and pulling back his covers.

There was distant snoring and all the remaining boys turned to see peter already asleep, drooling on his headboard.

"All systems go." Whispered Sirius sliding in next to his friends for breakfast.

Remus sighed and looked around nervously as if this was against his better judgement. "I still think was should have tested them before dumping anonymous potions in slytherin's pumpkin juice."

"What?" said James "and try it on ourselves first! What if something bad had happened?"

"No way I'm risking my head." Sirius agreed

Remus slouched in defeat and piled more eggs on his plate. It was clear his friends missed his point.

"Calm down Remus," said Peter his mouth stuffed with toast "It's just slytherin's."

"There sill human Peter."

"Barley." Whispered Sirius to James, who snickered

All four boys turned towards the slytherin table anxiously awaiting the show that was bound to come. There was a loud "plop" as a slytherin 5th years face fell into his food and to the utter astonishment of most of the population of Hogwarts all the slytherin's where soon to follow.

The hall was silent as staff and students stared confused at there cunning friends, quiet that is except for the explosive laughter of four friend.

James and Sirius stood and did a ridiculous looking hand shake that involved several strange dance moves before high-fiving Remus and Peter.

This did not go unnoticed by any of the teachers especially the potions master, Professor Banes, who also happened to be the slytherin head of house.

"Potter, Lupin, Black, Pettigrew!" he shrieked moving out from behind the staff table towards the second years. "That's it! I've had it with your tricks. The only place you could have gotten a potion that strong id my private cupboards! You are a bunch of disrespectful, insolent, cocky, little MARAUDERS! Headmasters office now!"

A pin could have dropped at the silence that followed this statement. The boy however remained seated, Peter had a piece of toast hanging out of his mouth.

"WELL? WHY ARN"T YOU MOVING?" seethed the professor

"Well you see, sir," started James "We don't know the way to his office…"

"I'm sure, knowing the little angles that we are," continued Sirius winking at James "You would know we've never actually been to the headmasters office. Although I hear it's nicely furnished."

Remus pointed his head towards the heavens clearly praying for divine intervention.

They're where a few scattered nickers from some brave students, who quickly where silence by Banes stare.

"FOLLOW ME!" Yelled the teacher before turning on his heel and stormed out of the great hall.

The four Gryffindor's stood and followed leisurely, all except Remus who made urgent motions for his friends to hurry up.

Th quick paced walk to the headmaster's office was silent, the potions master remained at least five paces ahead of the boys and kept turning around to shooting dirty glances.

Professor Banes stopped abruptly at a gargoyle statue and after giving a weary glance at the Gryffindor's whispered the password so they couldn't hear. Without waiting for them to follow he marched up the stairs.

"Wait here." He ordered tersely slamming the door in their faces.

James shrugged and sat down on the stairs muttering about "rude potions professors".

"Git." Muttered Sirius "Did you se him down there. Like we would ever prank Dumbledore." He snorted to emphasize the ridiculousness of the thought.

"He's really mad." Squeaked Peter

"Of course he's mad!" shrieked Remus flinging out his arms his entire house is unconscious in their eggs! No he's not even a little peeved!"

"Do-do you th-think where gonna be expelled?" asked Peter al look of terror on his face at the very thought.

"Nah." James said confidently "It's not even that bad. Banes just needs a chill pill."

The door to the headmaster's office opened and a very happy professor Banes stepped out.

"The headmaster will talk to you now." His voice was now calm and a sneer was firmly in place. "Have fun." He added before gliding down the stairs.

"Don't worry." Spat Sirius "we will." But his face no longer held quite the overly confident air it normally displayed. It was clear that all four where nervous as they stepped together tentatively into professor Dumbledore's office.

"Mr. Black, Mr. Potter, Mr. Lupin, Mr. Pettigrew," said the smartest wizard of the century "please sit down." He gestured to the chairs and all the boys immediately sat. "Lemon drop? No? Well then…you seem to have mad Professor Banes sufficiently angry. Indeed, he even forgot to take off house points." He shook his head as if that was unheard of. "Please recount your story of the events which lead you to visit me." He folded his hands and waited patiently for one of the boys to speak.

"Umm… well you see professor…we…uh…" stumbled Remus

"Banes needs-" said James

"Professor Banes, Mr. Potter." Prodded Dumbledore

"Professor Banes needs to cool his hippogriffs." James continued, Remus and Peter shot him identical terror filled glares, but

Sirius decided to add to the fire.

"It was just a little fun, sir."

"That may very well be Mr. Black." Said Dumbledore his eyes twinkling "but your… little bit of marauding will cause the slytherin's to miss the next three days of school, whilst the school nurse and professor Banes brew a potion to revive them." James and Sirius shared a triumphant smile. " In addition to this the Gryffindor portrait in formed me this morning that there was a group of students wandering the halls last night." He surveyed them each threw his half moon spectacles. "I am taking that you confess to your actions there fore, I am giving you a weeks worth of detention and your parents will be notified of your behavior. Now I believe if you hurry you will be on time for class."

All the boy stood and left realizing they where being dismissed.

"A weeks worth of Detention!" complained Peter on their way to transfiguration.

"My moms gonna kill me." Breathed Remus

"Cheer up!" said Sirius practically skipping "It was worth it three days with out the bloody slytherin's breathing down our necks!"

James smiled wickedly. "We should try and sneak into their common room. No one will be there. We could get some nice dirt on snivellus."

Remus was about to object whole-heartedly when they arrived at the door to the transfiguration room.

They walked in. the entire class went silent then clapping erupted. James and Sirius bowed, enjoying the attention, not hearing Bertia Jorkins whispering to her friends about the latest gossip and rumors on the famous marauders of Hogwarts.


End file.
